Chapter 1 - A Youthful Summer of Despair - Class Trial
Whew! This is it! The big one! Hope you enjoy it... it's extra large! I had fun writing this... like a lot! So I hope you have fun too!
PS. If you guys have an AO3 account, you will find that this chapter has a special bonus that can only be viewed there because of the site's features... which is a bummer but oh well. You won't really miss anything story or content-wise. It's just something... I did for fun and flair!
Hiccup's POV
The doors gave away to reveal a giant, circular room. If I had to describe the room... the best way I could do so was with the word 'gaudy'.
Red velvet curtains hung from the wall all the way to the floor, and the walls were lined with golden pillars with checkered tiles in between them. Red velvet carpet covered the entire floor and in the middle of the room, also arranged in a circular motion, were booths with cruddy drawings of us in the floor. There was even a big one for Toothless.
Overseeing this circle of booths was the most outrageous throne I've ever seen, made entirely out of gold and fitted with red cushions. And of course, Monobear was sitting on it, looking at us smugly. Said bear beckoned us to come in further with his paw and we cautiously left the elevator and walked into the courtroom proper.
This was it. No ifs or buts.
"Welcome! Did you enjoy the ride? I'm sure you did! I mean, I spared every expense in making that elevator but I think it's still amazing, don't you think?", our Headmaster greeted us with a nonsensical tirade. Of course, everyone was too tense to humor the bear. Seeing no reaction from us, Monobear moved on.
"Very well! I see you're set and ready to go, so let's fire up this thing and get started! Please take your corresponding booth! You'll know which one belongs to you by looking at the totally accurate artistic depictions of you done by me!", said Monobear as he pointed at the booths with enthusiasm.
I quickly spotted my own booth (Monobear's doodle of me greatly exaggerated my crooked teeth), and I walked to it hesitantly. Slowly, everyone got in place; Going from my right, Tooth was next to me, followed by a shared booth with Tuffnut and Ruffnut, then Flynn, Elsa, Peter, Fishlegs, Merida, Anna, Jack, Aster, Toothless, North, Astrid, Rapunzel, Snotlout and finally... ending with an empty booth to my left. That booth didn't hold a person, instead... it held a sign post with a black and white picture of Sandy, a crude red 'X' painted over it.
Monobear caught me looking at it and his sneer increased tenfold. "Hey! Just because he's dead, it doesn't mean he should be excluded! I bet he wouldn't want to miss the big event! So, I put a picture of him in his place! You know how in some cultures, people believe that cameras and photos can steal a person's soul? This way, you could say Sandy is accompanying us in spirit! Puhuhuhu!"
The trial hadn't even started and I already had a headache. Ugh... this rotten stuffed animal was being unbearable.
"Just shut up already.", snarled Jack, clearly not amused at the bear's antics. Monobear continued unperturbed.
"Right. Right. The heart-thumping and super-cool-and-exciting Class Trial is NOW IN SESSION!", shouted the bear as he took a seat.
"Now then... let's begin with a simple explanation of the Class Trial.", began Monobear with a monotone voice, as if he were reading a script. "During a Class Trial, you guys will debate and argue in order to figure out who the Blackened is! If you guys figure out whodunit and vote for that person and it's correct... only the Blackened will get punished! But if you pick the wrong persoooooon... the Blackened will leave, and you guys will be punished!"
"Oh, and, um... you guys HAVE to vote. Abstaining from voting is punishable by my law. S-so don't even think about bailing on me after you a-already undressed me and left me bear naked...!",said Monobear as he faked to be turned on, a blush inexplicably appearing on the stuffed animal. Seriously, what the heck?
"A question, before we start, if I may?", said Elsa, suddenly. "I'm assuming you're the judge of the trial? Does this mean you know who the killer is?"
Monobear looked at the Ultimate Figure Skater with a smile. "Of course I know who did it! How else would I be able to give a fair ruling if I didn't know that? Oh but if you think that I will give you a clue, my cute bear lips are sealed! Puhuhu!"
That... makes sense, actually. No doubt Monobear caught the culprit on camera. Knowing this does little to ease my nerves, unfortunately.
"Now then, begin already! Present your arguments!", demanded the monochromatic bear.
The fact that my hands were sweating clearly told me that I was nervous. My heart hammered away in my chest. This... whole thing would decide our fates. But...
"How... should we start...?", asked Rapunzel, voicing my question.
"Yeah, we don't exactly have any experience with this, so." said Tuffnut, a disinterested look in his face. "Where do we begin?", finished Ruffnut, equally disinterested.
"How about we start by voting already?", said Elsa, looking at us with a cold gaze before zeroing on Snotlout, who flinched. "We already know he's the culprit."
"Oh my! Voting Time already?! Well... if you insist...", shouted Monobear, bring his paws over his snout in order to hide his mischievous smile.
"HOLD THE PHONE!", shouted Snotlout. "I didn't fucking kill anyone!"
"But you're clearly the most suspicious person in this room. And you have voiced your intent to kill. So you're our only and most likely suspect.", pressured Elsa, actually leaning a bit on her booth as she spoke.
"I-I want a lawyer...!", said Snotlout as he covered his head with two beefy hands and to my surprise, he actually started to tear up a bit.
"DE-NIED!", shouted Monobear joyfully.
"Settle down, you two.", intervened North, silencing the pair with his authoritative tone. "We're not starting voting time without discussing incident first, yes?"
"I agree with North, sis.", said Anna. "We should make sure he's the culprit before we jump to any conclusions."
Elsa squinted her eyes with annoyance and muttered under her breath, "You're only saying that because Mr. Haddock said it."
Great. Really scoring brownie points with her. That's me, making friends everywhere.
"S-so!", said Fishlegs suddenly, "Maybe we should start with how... um, Sandy died?"
That's a good starting point, actually.
"According to the Monobear file", began Peter as he scanned the device with a bored tone, "Sandy died due to-"
"Stab wounds!", shouted Tuffnut, excited, "He was stabbed to death! Probably with a knife or something." Ruffnut rudely interjected by shoving his brother, "Don't be an idiot! He obviously died from the cut on his neck! You can see it in the file, clear as day!"
"Uh... guys?", I said before they started throwing down, "That's wrong. The Monobear File clearly says that he died from strangulation." Honestly, these two... did they even read the File?
"Oh"
"We didn't actually read the file."
Oh Hel's skirts. These two...!
"So... Mr. Sandy died from strangulation?", said Rapunzel crestfallen.
"'Fraid so, Punzie", answered Flynn, looking grim.
"So what's up with the wounds, then? You sure they weren't the cause of death?", asked Merida, deep in thought with her arms crossed.
I shook my head. "The Monobear File clearly says that the cause of death is strangulation."
"What if Monobear is lying?" said Astrid, suddenly confrontational.
"Hey! Don't talk about me as if I weren't here! It's very rude!", shouted the Headmaster as he flailed his arms around in childish anger. "I'll have you know the Monobear file contains the truth and only the truth!"
"So then, what about the wounds, ankle-biter?", said Aster after hearing Monobear's tirade.
"I... think they were inflicted after Sandy died...", said Jack before I could answer, a finger on his temple as he spoke. "It's... the only thing that makes sense if they're not the cause of death."
"So, what's the murder weapon?", asked Tooth, looking at all of us with expectantly.
"Looking at the state of the body, it should be obvious.", said Elsa, apparently willing to participate this time around, though her eyes never left Snotlout as she spoke. "We found the corpse hung by the neck, didn't we? I assume the killer hanged Mr. Onirico and simply waited until he died."
"How horrible...!", shouted Rapunzel as she looked a little pale.
"And then they went and stabbed his corpse...?!", said North, looking outraged.
"The hell, Snotlout?! How could you do that?!", shouted Ruffnut.
"E-ENOUGH I DIDN'T DO IT!", screamed the Ultimate Heavy Lifter, close to tears.
"But... is that how it really happened? The killer hung Sandy, lowered the body, stabbed him, and then hung him again? Doesn't that seem odd and convoluted and risky?", I interjected.
"Don't forget we're dealin' with Snotface here, ankle-biter." said Aster as he glared at the teary-eyed teen.
"Not the brightest bub in the pack, that's for sure...", commented Merida as Flynn nodded.
"P-please... I didn't do it... Stop...", and for the first time in my stay here, I felt pity for Snotlout. He actually looked miserable.
Elsa, however, took this chance to attack. "Then tell us, Mr. Jorgenson, where were you during the crime? I've actually gotten alibis for everyone except for you."
But, that's a lie. She never got an alibi from me or Jack... why would she lie like that? Was she trying to pressure Snotlout to talk?
"I... I was in my room when it happened.", he offered, feebly. Elsa merely scoffed.
"Really now? Then can you explain why were you soggy, covered in mud and looking worse for wear?"
Snotlout's face dropped as he heard the silver-haired girl's question. "Well, t-that's-"
"I can tell you why." interrupted Elsa, a smug smile on her lips, "Because you were at the crime scene." A stunned silence fell over the courtroom as she spoke. "You will all recall that it rained yesterday..."
"Sandy's body was wet and there were muddy footprints everywhere...", said Jack as he held a hand to his temple, his gaze unfocused.
Elsa nodded. "So it stands to reason that the killer would be anyone who is in the same conditions, yes?" The Ultimate Figure Skater's gaze suddenly sharpened as she focused her glare on Snotlout. "Mr. Jorgenson, you're the killer! Admit it!"
"N-no! I... DIDN'T DO IT!", was all Snotlout could say as his knees visibly wobbled.
Elsa's eyes held nothing but contempt for the Ultimate Heavy Lifter. "Then, can you explain why you were found in such a state?"
At this question, the dark-haired teen tensed. "I-I can't...", he said softly as he hung his head low, his face hidden from all of us.
"I rest my case". Said Elsa as she stood up straight after leaning on her booth once again during her interrogation.
Flynn merely whistled, North nodding in approval.
"S-so Snotlout really did it...?", asked Fishlegs, apparently breathless from Elsa's attack on Snotlout.
"Looks that way..." said Aster as he looked at the Ultimate Figure Skater with new-found admiration.
"So... is it OK if we start the voting already?", asked Rapunzel, looking at the hunched figure of the burly teen.
This...
This didn't feel right...
Snotlout was the killer because he was wet and dirty? He was at the crime scene based on these facts? But that's just circumstantial evidence. And yet, everything points to Snotlout. Even Sandy's ElectroID, which was removed from the crime scene, was found near Snotlout's cottage. So... did he really do it?
Or... is this the true culprit's trap? Is Snotlout being framed? By who?
But I can't prove that right now. If I just say he's being framed without any evidence, they won't listen to me. Maybe... I should start by discrediting Elsa's argument.
But how? Her whole argument rides on the fact that Snotlout was at the crime scene. If only I could prove who was at the crime scene.
...Wait! That's it!
...I can't believe I'm defending Snotlout...
"Wait!", I shout louder than I intend to, but I get the desired effect. Everyone is looking at me now. Right, OK. "Are we sure Snotlout was at the crime scene when the crime happened?"
Elsa's face became an emotionless mask as she heard my question. "Mr. Haddock, please don't ask such meaningless questions."
"I'm sorry, Hic, but she's right.", says Jack, his face filled with subdued anger as he glared at Snotout, his knuckles white as he gripped the edges of his booth.
"Yeah, Hiccup, just accept it. Snotlout did it.", said Astrid avoiding my face. Was she embarrassed of me?
"No, I won't! B-because... I can prove Snotlout wasn't at the crime scene!", or so I hope.
The atmosphere suddenly turned charged with expectation as everyone's attention focused on me. Elsa merely arched an eyebrow. "Oh? And how will you do that?"
Right, here goes nothing... "Aster.", I faced the Ultimate Survivalist. "Did you get everyone's footprints like we asked you?"
Aster's eyes suddenly widened. "Oh yeah!", the teen fumbled for his ElectroID. "Got everyone's but Snotface's here." With Odin's blessing and perhaps my Ultimate Lucky Student talent activating, I managed to catch Aster's ElectroID as he threw it at me.
"What's this about, Mr. Haddock?", asked Elsa, confused.
"Well, you argue that Snotlout is the killer because he was at the crime scene, right?", I said as I looked at the detailed drawings of everyone's footprint samples stored in the device, "Because he was wet and muddy, right? So naturally, if he was at the crime scene, he would've had left his footprints in the mud, correct?"
"Get to the point already!", shouted Tuffnut, exasperated.
"Yes, your ramblings are wasting our time, Mr. Haddock." Wow. Elsa agreeing with Tuff...
"Well, there were two sets of footprints left in the mud at the crime scene. If we can figure out who they belong to using these footprint samples Aster collected for me, we'll be able to figure out who the killer is!", I said as I showed the device to Elsa.
"Whoa!", shouted Flynn, impressed, "Nicely done, Hiccup!"
"Indeed! That is what I call dedication!", applauded North.
"I was the one who got 'em, y'know...", mumbled Aster.
"And for that, I thank you." I really had to suppress my smirk as I saw Elsa's stunned face. "Alright everyone, line up. We're gonna compare your footprints with the ones from the crime scene."
One by one, everyone compared their footwear's footprints to the ones from the crime scene; from Astrid's combat boots, to Rapunzel's... bare feet, to my own sneakers, everyone went to through the test. Jack and I already knew that one of the footprints in the crime scene belonged to Sandy... but the other one...
Finally, Snotlout's turn came. The Ultimate Heavy Lifter looked tense as I started the comparison.
...To my relief... Snotlout's shoes DIDN'T match with the other footprint in the crime scene. But... Oh Gods... oh Gods...!
"So, what are the results, Mr. Haddock?", asked Elsa, unusually tense.
"Snotlout's footprints... didn't match.", I said, just like I had hoped. I would have relished Elsa's expression if it weren't for the thing I just had uncovered. I vaguely heard Snotlout sigh in relief.
"Hic...? What's wrong?", asked Jack as he saw my face, worried.
"Did you find somethin' else?", asked Merida. I stiffly nodded.
"The thing is... none of the footprints matched the ones in the crime scene.", and just like that, everyone froze. But... that wasn't the only thing I found out. "Except for one. Sandy's footprints."
"But what is wrong about that?", asked Peter puzzled at my behavior.
"Yeah... Mr. Sandy was at the crime scene when he... died, right?", said Rapunzel.
"Yeah b-but...", I paused to gulp and consider if I should say what I found out. There were two sets of footprints in the crime scene. One of them started randomly from the bush and never left the crime scene, the other started in the crime scene but actually exited the Meeting Spot. "Sandy's footprints... match the ones that leave the Meeting Spot."
Silence. That's all that existed as everyone slowly digested my findings. It didn't make any sense, yet our clues told us this:
Our murder victim actually left the crime scene.
...Just what on Thor's name is going on?!
"Hiccup, are you sure?!", asked North, clearly bewildered.
"There must be a mistake...", said Tooth, looking at North, worried.
"So... it really was Snotlout then?", asked Ruffnut.
"But his footprints didn't match...", said Anna in a whisper.
"And now there's a footprint that doesn't belong to anyone and apparently our corpse walked away from the crime scene?", said Flynn with his brow furrowed.
"B-but that's impossible...! Corpses can't walk...!" shouted Fishlegs.
"Eeek! Zombie attack?!", said Monobear, obviously enjoying our confusion. Please, don't talk now. You'll only make things worse.
"Do you see what you've caused, Mr. Haddock?", said Elsa confrontationally, "Your so called evidence has thrown this debate into chaos!"
None of this makes sense. And yet, Aster's evidence isn't faulty. So... what am I doing wrong? Am I overlooking something?
...First, I need to calm down and analyze these inconsistencies one by one. Maybe that way, I'll figure out something. Alright... I'll tackle the most outrageous thing first.
Something clearly impossible has happened; a corpse left footprints on the mud and left the crime scene. Yet the clues tell us that's what happened. So then... how did that come to pass? Clearly, a corpse can't move, and yet those footprints still appeared.
I lock eyes with Jack, who is also looking at me, despite how obvious it is that he's thinking about this too.
Looking at him, my mind gears start to shift. Memories of our investigation return to me. A way for Sandy to leave those footprints... Sandy's cottage... the state of the corpse...
That's it!
"I think... I know how Sandy left those footprints...", I begin, uncertain. Suddenly, Jack's eyes light up with understanding and with a nod, he starts speaking too.
"During our investigation, we found Sandy's ElectroID..."
"I was the one who found it", supported Flynn.
"Right." I nodded at Jack before continuing. "It was found at the Rec Area, far away from the body."
"We assume the killer stole it...", said Jack, picking up from where I left.
Everyone's eyes shifted to Flynn, but the Ultimate Thief quickly put up his hands. "Hey! I don't pillage corpses! Besides, do you think the killer would've given that clue to you guys? C'mon!"
"In a-any case,", I said before I lost my train of thought, "We used it to investigate Sandy's cottage."
"Yeah, and in there we found something quite peculiar...", said Jack as he closed his eyes and crossed his arms, "You see... Sandy's ElectroID wasn't the only thing missing from the body."
"That's right", I said as I put a hand under my chin, "Sandy's body... was missing it's shoes. And we found his shoes IN the cottage."
"So how did Sandy's ElectroID and shoes end up far away from him and how did a corpse leave footprints behind even though he wore no shoes?", said Jack as he asked that leading question.
I smiled. Thanks to him... I managed to figure out this mystery! "The answer is simple. If it's impossible for a corpse to move, then there's only one other explanation. The killer not only stole Sandy's ElectroID, he also stole his shoes! And so, he left those footprints... by wearing them! And using Sandy's ElectroID..."
"The killer entered Sandy's cottage and hid the shoes there!", finished Jack, excitedly.
"And... that's the truth behind the corpse's apparent post-mortem locomotion.", I said with a smile, to everyone's stunned faces.
Once again, Flynn whistled, his eyes wide.
"That was some impressive teamwork there!", shouted Tooth, clapping with excitement. Both Jack and I blushed at the compliment. I don't know what... happened back there but I could get used to this kind of joint reasoning.
"Ew.", interrupted Monobear, "If you guys are done messing around, I suggest you guys continue with the class trial. Before I lose my patience AND my lunch."
"So... where does that leave us?", asked Astrid.
"Yeah. I don't understand why the killer had to use such an elaborate trick.", said Anna biting her thumb, "I mean, it makes sense, but why?"
"And what about the other footprint?", asked Peter.
Right. The other footprint... We still don't know who it belongs to... and I don't think I can identify it with what we have right now. I should probably return to that one later. But as the reason why the killer took this course of action... I can answer that.
"Well, I have no idea to who the mystery footprint belongs to, but I think we can agree it isn't Snotlout's". Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Snotlout reluctantly smiling at my defense. "But as for why the killer decided to wear Sandy's shoes and move them... I think it's obvious that the Blackened is trying to confuse us. Throw us off."
Yeah. That's it. So far, the true culprit has hidden it's identity well. Planting fake clues using the victim's shoes, using a different shoe type when they committed the crime to hide their presence... they even went so far as to try to frame Snotlout for the crime. All to shield themselves.
"Well, they did good, because I have no idea what's going on.", complained Ruffnut.
"This black hearted devil certainly planned this crime thoroughly.", said North as he rubbed his chin.
"I have to agree", said Elsa as she let out a puff of air, "This crime was planned so well... it even made me jump to conclusions and made me think Mr. Jorgenson did it."
"The bastard probably planned to lure Sandy as well... Just how much did the killer thought about this?", said Flynn, annoyed.
But wait...
It's true that the killer is crafty, but... they planned everything? No, that's...
"Actually, that's wrong.", I said suddenly. This crime... this killing... wasn't planned. Because there was no way the killer would've know about the victim's plans for the night. In fact, none of us knew until we investigated Sandy's cottage. "The killer didn't lure Sandy nor was this crime planned. Sure, the killer's trickery and cover-up work was well thought... but the murder itself? It was impossible to plan for it."
"What do you mean, Hiccup?", asked Merida.
"When we investigated Sandy's cottage, we found his diary. In it, Sandy wrote that he would take a walk to clear his mind.", I paused to breathe, "Nowhere in the diary does he mention he's going to meet someone. A killer can't plot to kill a victim if they don't even know that the victim was going to show up. It can't be done, at all."
"Unless you have a sword that can show you the future! Y'know, like in that famous JRPG for that famous family-friendly console of 2007, Xeno-!", interrupted Monobear, but North silenced him before he could finish his random outburst.
"If what yer sayin' is true, ankle-biter," said Aster, "then why did Sandy wind up dead? Yer sayin' this murder wasn't planned and yet someone clearly prepared themselves to kill. Sandy himself proves that."
"And yet, Hiccup is indeed correct," interjected Peter. "If Sandy's walk to the crime scene was impromptu, then the killer couldn't have possibly conspired to kill Sandy, because they couldn't have possibly known about Sandy's movements before the crime happened."
So what gives? The killer obviously prepared to kill someone... they got a spear and a different pair of shoes than the ones they normally use to hide their presence...
"W-what if... the killer was aiming to kill someone else, but they failed?", suddenly Jack spoke up, looking serious and in deep thought. "And... Sandy ended up witnessing the whole thing. The killer probably... had to silence him."
"So you're saying Mr. Sandy was killed by chance?!", said Rapunzel with a gasp.
"Man, talk about being in a bad place at a bad time...", mumbled Flynn.
"But it makes sense. I think that's... what happened.", said Fishlegs. "I'm 90% sure."
So Sandy was killed on a whim, because he saw the murderer getting ready to commit a crime? That's... seriously unfair. But as Fishlegs said, it makes sense. But now the question is... who was the killer's original target?
"So if Sandy wasn't the intended victim, who was it?", asked North, looking suddenly authoritative. "Please, if any of you were threatened last night, step forward! Your testimony may prove to be vital to the case!"
To my surprise, no one spoke up. But why? I'm... sure we're in the right track. But then... why isn't anyone speaking up?! This could be our chance to figure out who the culprit is and yet no one's speaking! Is... someone trying to cover for the murderer?
Monobear suddenly yawns, interrupting the continued silence. "What? No further arguments? If you guys are done debating, we can always proceed to Voting Time.", said the Headmaster as he scratched his rear lazily.
This is bad...! If we don't continue debating, the trial will end... and the truth will elude us! We need to come up with a new topic, and fast! But what can we discuss...?! Odin, if you're real, then please, give a signal, anything to continue this trial!
"Hey, I was wondering about something..."
...Odin, I didn't want the signal to be Tuffnut!
"So like," continued the blonde, with an even more confused look in his face than usual, "What's the murder weapon?"
I had to suppress a groan. Seriously? Was he even paying attention to the trial?!
"Ugh, Tuffnut, are ya daft?!", asked Merida clearly exasperated, "We already established that Sandy was hung with the flagpole's string!"
To my surprise, Tuff actually looked offended. "Nuh uh, you guys are dumb. That thing isn't the murder weapon at all, it's something else."
What? Why is he so sure about his claim? Did Tuff actually... figure something out?
"What are you rambling about, Mr. Thorston?.", said Elsa, rubbing her forehead as if to assuage a headache, "The Monobear file clearly reads that the victim died by strangulation. How does that not match the murder weapon we all agreed on?"
"Wow, and we thought she was smart.", said Ruff suddenly, her eyes twinkling with... understanding? Did she also figure out the same thing as Tuff?
"Dumber than the brick wall we dynamited yesterday", said Tuff, nodding at his sister's words.
"Would you guys get to the point already?!", shouted Astrid, suddenly looking out of herself. Huh...?
"Ugh. You guys... you keep saying that Sandy died by hanging, but the Monobear File says he died by strangulation.", said Tuffnut with a scowl. "That's a big difference there."
I had to mentally slap myself for not noticing that. Of course! We've been wrong on the murder weapon all the time! And to think that we wouldn't have noticed if Tuff hadn't spoken up!
...Guess Odin's signal was good after all.
"Is... uh, there any difference?", asked Jack, unsure, "I mean, both entail tying something on the neck to kill, right?"
"Not quite, Jackson.", said Peter as he explained, "Though similar in execution, these two methods of killing cause death in different ways. Strangulation causes death by tying up something on a person's neck, sure, but hanging doesn't do this. Death by hanging is actually attributed to the weight of the person's body pulling on the noose. Gravity does all the work. The 'wounds' they leave are also quite different. Strangulation leaves bruises, while hanging leaves broken trachea and-"
"OK I get it! Enough!", said Jack, looking a bit green.
"Were there any of those wounds on the body?", asked Tooth.
I nodded. "Yeah... I... found both bruises and broken bones on his body." The body WAS hanged after all. "It's a good thing we have the Monobear file or else we wouldn't have known what the true cause of death was."
"More of the killer's traps, perhaps?", suggested Elsa.
"As if the wounds in the body weren't distracting enough...", mumbled Flynn.
"So... like Mr. Tuffnut said... what was the murder weapon that took Mr. Sandy's life?", asked Rapunzel.
This is important. All along we were operating under a false assumption. But now that assumption has been revealed for the fake it is and now, we're presented with this question: What's the true murder weapon?
"Hey, Hic."
Jack's voice catches my attention. I look at the whitette, who gestures with a jerk of chin towards Toothless, who's been paying attention closely to our discussion. The Night Fury looks antsy... pacing in his booth. As if... he were trying to tell me something...
Hey! That's it!
I turn to Jack and nod. The fact that the Ultimate Mystery is smirking confidently tells me he has the same idea. I return his smirk with one of my own, and then I take a deep breath. Alright! Let's do this.
"During our investigation,", I began, catching everyone's attention at once, "we wondered something... what caused Sandy's wounds?"
"A certain Night Fury assisted us in answering that question", continued Jack, "And thanks to his efforts, we found the weapon that inflicted the wounds on our friend."
"A spear", I said.
"But not just any spear!" said Monobear suddenly from his throne, holding the silver weapon on his left paw with ease. How on Earth did he get that from the supermarket to here? "It's the Legendary Gugnir! As seen on TV and it can be yours for the modest price of 9999999999- ow! I bit my tongue..."
"A-anyway... this Gugnir was the thing that wounded our friend.", I continued, ignoring Monobear's antics.
"But are you saying that's the murder weapon?", asked Anna. With a smile, I nodded. Yes, I'm sure I'm right.
"No, that can't be it", said North, shaking his head, "We just established that Sandy died from strangulation."
"Yeah, whoever heard of strangling someone with a spear?", said Aster, an eyebrow arched at me.
"Oh, but that's were you're wrong, Bunny!", interjected Jack, looking at me with those bright blue eyes of his, brimming with confidence. "Hic is correct. Someone strangled Sandy with this Gugnir."
"Allow me to point out," I said as soon as I saw Elsa open her mouth, ready to object, "The bottom of Gugnir. Do you see it? The long chord attached to the base?"
"That... our friends,", continues Jack, "is the true murder weapon."
"The killer strangled our friend with Gugnir's chord and then proceeded to wound Sandy and hang the body to confuse us!", I pick up where Jack left.
"That's the truth behind Gugnir", finishes Jack, the confident smile never fading from his face.
We... did it again. I seriously shouldn't feel so happy at how in synch we are. It just feeds my stupid delusions and my crush on this dork. And yet... we bounce off each other so well. I feel like we can... solve any mystery thrown at us.
"Seriously? You guys did it AGAIN?", said Monobear as he looked down at us, "Geez, trigger the M-Rated scene on you guys' character route and be done with it already!"
W-what's his deal?! Why does he keep making those comments?!
"So that's the true murder weapon then?", asks Tooth.
"That's a mighty fine weapon, it is...", says Aster as he studies Gugnir with admiration.
"What's the chord for?", asks Rapunzel, eyeing the thing with fear.
"Oh, I've read about this!", said Fishlegs excitedly, "Believe it or not, these weapons are actually thrown at enemies! And the chord? It's to retrieve the spear without having to walk to the enemy! Like a harpoon!"
"That's right!", said Monobear cheerfully, "Fishy got it! Due to the weapon's dimensions and the type, however, Gugnir can't be wielded by a Lv. 1 Squire! No, only the strongest and most experienced warriors can even dare to touch it!"
I get it. You don't have to ramble... That weapon can't be used by any normal person. Only true warriors or whatever can use it. No need to make a big deal. And besides...
I believe that, surprisingly. I've used wooden spears before and I'm bad with those. I doubt I would be able to even lift Gugnir. So now the question is... who can?
There's certainly some people here who can use this weapon, but the million dollar question is: who used it?
I have a hunch... but no... I don't want to consider that possibility.
Because... there's no way! There's no way they're the killer! The thought... simply repulses me! So I must make sure... yes, I must explore every possibility before I jump to any conclusions... I just hope my hunch isn't right.
So... if we want to find out the truth, we need all the information we can gather. Which means...
"So we've uncovered the murder weapon...", says Peter as he looks at the spear with a strange shine in his eyes, "But, now what?"
Merida speaks, "We know what REALLY killed Sandy but we don't know WHO did it still..."
We need to take this discussion in a different direction. One that we haven't touched.
I turn to face Snotlout. There's no way around this. If we want to find out the truth, he will need to talk. Maybe his testimony will lead us to the truth...
"Snotlout... we need you to tell us what happened to you last night.", I say slowly, trying to sound authoritative, "We need to know why you showed up like that and we need to know what were you doing."
The Ultimate Heavy Lifter looks scared as he realizes the spotlight is on him again. With wide-eyes and trembling lips, he half-shouts: "W-why do I have to do that?! Are you fucking suspecting me, f-fishbone?!"
I shake my head. "No, I know that you didn't do it. But if we want to find out who truly did it, we need to know everything about the crime. Even YOUR side of the story.", I pause and I look directly at Snotlout's eyes. "Please, if not for our sake, then at least for yours?"
The Ultimate Heavy Lifter looks deeply troubled as he fidgets in place, clearly afflicted with whatever thoughts that cross his mind, sweat visible on his forehead. After minutes of grueling silence, Snotlout nods with a tiny movement, one that I would've missed if I weren't staring at him intently.
"Alright fishbone... I'll talk.", Snotlout says curtly, looking at the floor.
In my mind, I do a tiny fist pump. We're finally getting somewhere!
"Snotty's gonna talk?", says Monobear suddenly, "Geez, I really pity you guys... but since I'm such a nice guy... How about a small break before you guys get forced to hear him out? Y'know... clear your minds a bit, relax, collect your thoughts... You're near the end, so it wouldn't do if you guys collapsed from exhaustion you know?"
What is he... talking about?
"So yeah! Take a small breather, you guys! We're near the grand finale! I can't wait for the thrilling conclusion of this Class Trial... right after the break!"
- MONOBEAR THEATER -
"Hey, so! Have you heard? I recently launched my very own line of snacks! They're emblazoned with my cute face and everything! As a mascot, I'm legally obliged to sell products with my face and fully endorse the spirit of capitalism!"
"But y'know... they haven't actually been selling that great... is my time as a mascot character over? Am I past my prime?"
"Huh? You think products would sell better if I changed my slogan? But what's better than 'Guaranteed to not kill you 1 out 10 times'?! Are you saying that my slogan is too extreme?!"
"Well, I refuse to change it. I'll stick with it until it starts selling. After all, that's the spirit of capitalism!"
"Aaand we're back! Aah... don't you guys feel refreshed after that break? I know I do!"
Who... is Monobear talking to?!
"Anyways", says Monobear, not stopping to explain, "Get on with it, you bastards. Time to hear Snotty babble our lives away! Puhuhuh!"
"Please, Snotlout, ignore that fiendish creature and do go on", says North as he rubs his forehead. The Ultimate Heavy Lifter nods and after taking a deep breath, begins talking.
"I... after what happened at the Quiz thing... I went back to my cottage. I... was thinking about stuff."
"How unlikely! Nyohohoho!", interrupted Monobear, mockingly.
"Shut up!", shouted Snotlout at the bear, looking flushed. "A-anyway! I was there in my room, mulling things over, when a buzz in my pocket caught my attention."
This... is also catching my attention. Is that buzz...?
"Turns out my ElectroID was doing the noise. I checked it out and to my surprise, I got a message from... someone." said Snotlout, hesitating a bit during the last part.
"What did the message say?", asked Rapunzel.
"Err... I don't remember how it went.", answered Snotlout, his brow furrowed in thought, "But... the gist of it was all like 'meet me at the Meeting Spot. i need to tell you something important.'"
Someone groaned. I looked around for who had interrupted and I saw Aster face palm.
"And let me guess,", said the Ultimate Survivalist, "you went to meet this fella, didn't you?"
"Yeah", said Snotlout without realizing how stupid his actions were, "why wouldn't I?"
"Uh... Snotlout... the killer basically was luring you!" I shouted at the brown-haired boy, who paled a bit as he realized what we were saying.
"Shut the hell up! There's... there's no way they would that!", said Snotlout, still refusing to say any names. He's... covering for the killer? But why?
"M-moving on!", said the Ultimate Heavy Lifter hastily, "I went to the Meeting Spot as soon as I got the message... I think it was like midnight? I don't remember exactly... but it wasn't raining when I arrived."
"Wait, midnight?", I interrupted, confused, "But I thought it rained earlier than that... I mean, I heard the rain but I didn't when it started... I thought it started before 10 PM because I never heard the Night Time announcement..."
"Now that you mention it", said Tooth, "neither did I."
"I may or may not have fallen asleep before I made the announcement.", said Monobear, smiling cheekily, "I'm not a machine, y'know? I need my beauty rest or I'll ruin my charismatic mascot image!"
OK, so there was no Monobear announcement that night. Crud... that means I lost track of time thinking about and drawing Jack... this is embarrassing.
"Well... after I arrived there," said Snotlout as he continued his tale, "I waited for about 20 minutes. No one showed up, though. So I thought that... they... wouldn't be coming, so I just left."
Well, that kinda explains why Snotlout didn't leave footprints.
"As I was making my way to my cottage, it started to rain.", said the Ultimate Heavy Lifter with a scrunched up face, clearly displeased with the memory, "so I ran to my cottage to cover myself. But... I couldn't enter it."
"Why?", asked Anna.
"Because... I lost my ElectroID." said Snotlout embarrassed.
Oh yeah... we can only access our cottage with our ElectroIDs.
"So yeah, I was left out in the rain all night long. And I couldn't sleep because of those fucking rules either... so I just wandered over to the restaurant and stayed there. And that's all I did yesterday.", said Snotlout, finishing his testimony.
So that's why he looked wet, muddy, and tired. Man, Monobear's rule really screwed him over.
But thanks to this... I now have a way to unmask the killer.
"Ugh, this was a waste of time.", groaned Ruffnut.
"Yeah, we only like, heard how Snotlout got duped, dumped and damp. No clues for the killer's identity at all.", said Tuff.
"So, is there really no way to find out who did it?", asked Tooth, worried.
"No... there's... a way.", I said. I'm sure now. Snotlout knows the truth. And yet... he keeps covering it up. I don't know why he's doing it... but his lies will be exposed. And I know how to do so, thanks to a detail in his story.
"What do you mean, Hic?", asked Jack, looking lost. Huh... guess it IS up to me.
I turned to face Snotlout, and steeled myself to confront him. Here goes...
"Snotlout... you know who the killer is... don't you?", I said, and at that accusation, the guy paled.
"I-I don't know what you're talking about...", says the Ultimate Heavy Lifter as he averts his eyes from my face.
"Look, Snotlout," I said as I leaned on my booth, tense, "I know you know who the killer is. Whoever summoned you with that message to the Meeting Spot is the killer. And the name of the sender is always on all the messages sent by ElectroID, so even if you try to cover it up, we can find out who is it by simply looking at that message."
The Ultimate Heavy Lifter tensed up with nervousness, realizing that I was right. "T-too bad I lost it...", he said with a hollow laugh.
"Where did you lose it?", asked Peter, his eyes scanning the hulking boy.
"If I knew that, it wouldn't be lost, right?", said Snotlout with a huff, "All I know is... that I still had it before I left the Meeting Spot... because I kept checking the hour."
So... Snotlout probably dropped it during one of those times he took it out to check the hour. Which means his ElectroID was at the crime scene... and yet... neither Jack or I found a trace of it...
"Did any of you guys found it?", asked Fishlegs.
"The only one I found was Sandy's." said Flynn. Everybody else also denied to have seen it.
But... that has to be a lie. If Snotlout dropped his ElectroID at the crime scene and no one picked it up, we would have seen it. And yet, no one saw it? That's... highly unlikely.
So, where is it? Where is the ElectroID?
...! Wait...
"Isn't it odd?", I began, "I mean... if Snotlout dropped his ElectroID somewhere, wouldn't we have found it? And yet it's nowhere to be found..."
"Maybe it got broken and swept away?", said Merida
"Impossible!", interrupted Monobear, "My ElectroIDs are state-of-the-art! They can withstand pressure of a 100 tons and they're water, fire, and explosion proof! I know how rowdy teens can get, so I made them extra-durable!"
"Man... we have to test those claims out!", said Tuff as he exchanged an evil smile with his twin.
"So, anyway,", I continued, "if it's not broken, and it's nowhere in the camp... the only reasonable thing left is this: someone DID pick up the ElectroID AND still has it."
"But Mr. Hiccup", said Rapunzel, "we all just admitted we didn't pick it up."
"Then one of us lied.", I answered back.
"But who would lie at a crucial moment like this?", asked North, looking outraged.
"Someone... who is inconvenienced by the existence of that ElectroID and its contents...", I said slowly, collecting my thoughts and trying to make coherent sentences, "Someone who also picked it up to hide the truth..."
"The killer...", said Jack breathlessly, his eyes wide. I nod at the whitette. He's right on the money.
"Who is it?! Who's the killer!?", asks Merida fiercely, her eyes boring into mine.
This is it. After this, there's no turning back.
After this... I will find out if my hunch.. was correct.
"We can find out easily who that person is... right now.", I say as I gulp with anticipation. "We just need to send a message to Snotlout's ElectroID and hear for that buzzing sound."
"And whoever has it is the killer.", interrupts Elsa, a small grin on her face. "That is a very fascinating theory, Mr. Haddock. Shall we put it to the test?", and with a calm movement, the Ultimate Figure Skater brings out her own ElectroID.
I nod at her and she proceed to type away a message.
I close my eyes to focus on the sound only, waiting in silence for it.
Seconds feels like hours as Elsa writes the message, the tension in the room only matched by the silence. But it's a different kind of silence. It's charged with anticipation.
One could literally cut the tension with a knife.
…
…
The buzz rings clearly in the silence of the room.
I slowly turn my head to the direction of the sound and I hesitantly open my eyes to see the killer.
...And I curse all the Gods I know.
Because... because my hunch is right. It was right.
Because... right now I'm looking at Astrid Hofferson, holding the buzzing ElectroID on her hand, and not looking at us, her face partially hidden by her bang of blonde hair.
My mouth is dry as I speak, not wanting to... refusing... to believe this.
"Astrid... you're the killer."
I wait for her to deny it, to get mad. I wait for the punch in my arm she always throws when she's messing around! I wait for her to do anything!
Anything but just standing there, not refuting the accusation.
But the girl doesn't do anything, at all.
She just stands there, looking at the floor as she holds her left arm with her right hand, not speaking.
"W-what in the world are you sayin', Hiccup?!", shouts Merida, looking aghast, "T-there's no way Astrid did it! H-how can you say that?!"
"B-but she has Snotlout's ElectroID...", I offer, taken aback by the red-head's outburst.
"And it makes sense,", says Peter suddenly, "She is the Ultimate Warrior. Wielding Gugnir should be child's play for her."
"That's not enough to say she's the killer!", shouts Merida, looking angry now, "Even North and Snotlout can lift that thing!", she then turns to me, glaring holes into my face, "A-and what if Elsa made a mistake and sent Astrid a message by accident instead of sendin' it to Snotlout?!"
"There's... an easy way to see to whom the ElectroID belongs to.", says Jack, looking shaken by the revelation. His eyes move from Merida to Astrid, and I see his features harden. "Astrid. Show us the ElectroID.", he demands.
One moment, I'm seeing the device on Astrid's hand, and in another I see the device disappear in a black and white blur. I blink and I see Monobear standing on in front of my booth, smiling widely while offering me the ElectroID. I instinctively take a step back, but I take the device from the bear regardless. The Headmaster jumps off from my booth towards his throne and lands with ease on it, looking smug and excited. Even now... he shows off... as if this were a simple game.
I hesitate a bit before turning on the device on my hand. It flashes briefly for a second before it shows Snotlout's face and name. Without a doubt, this is Snotlout's ElectroID. And also...
I fiddle with it for a second and I find the IM section. To my relief, the message Snotlout got from the killer is still there. And to my despair, the sender of the message is actually... Astrid.
I show the ElectroID and the IM to everyone. I can see how slowly, but surely, they start to believe my conclusion as they see what I show them. All but Merida, who is still shaking her head side-to-side, vehemently denying what I'm saying.
"You're wrong! T-that's... not proof that she was the killer... b-because...," says the Ultimate Archer, stammering and struggling to find out a way to bail out Astrid, her eyes darting here and there as she grabs her hair. "B-because...! Because you can't prove she was at the crime scene!" she finally says, a bit excited.
"But Ms. Merida...", says Rapunzel, looking worried.
"No! I won't... I won't accept that my friend... I won't accept that Astrid is the killer!", Merida shouts, close to tears, "I won't let you guys vote! Because I... I know she's innocent!"
I close my eyes, unable to keep looking at her acting like this. I... know how she feels. I truly do. I also want to believe Astrid didn't do it, because she's my friend! But if I don't do this... we'll all die. And that's why... I have to put an end to this.
"Well?", asks Peter, "You heard the girl. If we want to end this satisfactorily... we need to prove without a shadow of a doubt that Astrid was at the crime scene."
"But how can we do that?", asks Anna.
"Haven't we discussed everything there is to discuss?", asks Fishlegs.
"Well, not really...", says Jack as he bites his thumb, not looking at Merida nor Astrid, "There's still that mysterious footprint at the crime scene. I think... we can agree that it belongs to the killer, right?"
That's true. We still don't know who's footprint is it. But...
"But, like, didn't we already compare that footprint with everyone's?", says Tuffnut with a shrug.
"Yeah, none of them matched with it.", comments Ruff.
"We don't even need to look at Astrid's boots to see that it doesn't match the mysterious footprint", adds Flynn. "The boot is far too big."
"So does that mean Ms. Astrid is innocent?", says Rapunzel, looking at all of us for an answer.
"We can't just discard all the evidence Mr. Haddock has graciously provided, though." says Elsa, to my surprise. She's... taking my side for once?
"But you heard the redhead!", says Snotlout, glaring at me, "If we can't prove Astrid was at the crime scene, we won't vote! Not even if the fishbone says so!". Great. And I thought we were getting alone a little. Guess I'm not saving this guy any more. And on top of that, he keeps trying to cover for her!
"It seems we are at standstill unless we can verify the footprint's owner...", says North, his beefy arms crossed over as he thinks about the situation.
But... is there a way to prove that the footprint belongs to Astrid? If my deductions are correct... she's the killer, even if I don't want to believe it. So that footprint belongs to her. And yet, it doesn't match her footwear at all.
Think, Haddock! Think! There... must be something! Something I'm forgetting! Something vital!
C'mon, brain! You're not Ultimate-quality but you're my best quality! Give me something!
…
A vision... a memory starts forming in my mind. The supermarket slowly forms in my mind. And then. A conversation. It's the day of the party...
"So, what about you, Astrid? Are you done preparing for the party?", I asked, trying to move on.
"Oh yeah. Got that done already. I'm actually looking for shoes.", she said as she tapped her boots with her right hand. "Wearing these every day is kinda tiring so I'm getting something more appropriate for the party.
…
That's it. I got it. With this... I can prove to who the footprint belongs to... and end this once and for all.
"I... know, how we can find out who the owner of the mystery footprint is." I say, and at this, Merida glares at me, her scowl filled with anger. And it hurts, it hurts me more than anything else. Because I'm sure of it... she hates me now. But I... must do this.
"This... is something only I and Astrid know.", I begin slowly, taking deep breaths as I speak, "On the day of the party... as I went to the supermarket to get ready, I found someone else there.", And as I say this I gaze at the Ultimate Warrior. "Someone who was planning on buying shoes... shoes that they wore at the party... and that they wore when they killed Sandy... "
"And you're sayin' that the one who got new kicks was Astrid?", asks Aster.
I nod. "Yeah. And I'm sure the footprint that was left at the crime scene... matches her new shoes. That's why we couldn't figure out who left it. Because the shoe that left it wasn't here at all..."
Merida tries to say something but before she can, our Headmaster interrupts.
"And this is the part of the story where the hero arrives at the last minute and produces the decisive piece of evidence!", and as he says this, he throws a shoe caked in mud to the floor near Tooth. "A little snooping around Hoffy's cottage yielded this! I hope you're beary grateful... Ahahaha!
I guess this means he can enter pretty much anywhere he wants.
Tooth gingerly picks it up and hoists it for all of us to see. With a grim expression on her face, she gives it to me and I nod. It only takes a few seconds to compare the shoe with the mysterious footprint and it matches. This... pretty much cements it.
Astrid... is the killer. There's... no way around it.
I share the revelation with everyone and that does it. Even Merida... loses her will to fight back. I can see it in her eyes, brimming with tears. Even though she doesn't want to admit it, in the face of all the proof against Astrid... she can't say anything.
I turn to the after mentioned blonde, who has kept quiet through everything, still holding the same pose. I gulp loudly before speaking, sweat sliding from my forehead.
"So... how about it...? Am I right, Astrid?"
She slightly flinches and for the first time, she looks at me, her blue eyes dull and unfocused. She smiles and laughs, a hollow noise, devoid of any actual happiness. "Heh... well done, Berkian Warrior."
Nothing more is said. A silence unlike anything before fills the courtroom, full with a sense of finality.
...
Monobear breaks that silence.
"Hmm? Are you done? Have you reached your conclusion? No more objections?". No one says anything. "Well then! It's Voting Time!"
A noise in my booth makes me look down, and in front of me appears a screen with our names on it.
"Please cast your vote by touching the name of the killer on the screen! Oh, and before you think about it... let me remind you that you guys HAVE to vote. Not voting is punishment-worthy! So please make sure to select something, OK?", explains the Headmaster, relishing on the subject.
"Now then... what will it be? Will you guys pick the true culprit? Or will you guys make the dreadfully wrong choice? I can't wait! I can't waaait! Now... let's give it our all, because it's Voting Time!"
I close my eyes, a feeling of regret in my heart, and slowly, I make my choice.
As soon as we all make our selection, a giant slot machine appears behind Monobear. Each of the reels spins impossibly fast for a few seconds before slowing down and stopping on Astrid's mugshot. The slot machine starts to flash and a fanfare plays loudly. Confetti starts to rain down on the courtroom and cheers can be heard all around us, even though the room is devoid of any audience.
...Is this... Monobear's idea of celebrating? But this... is no reason to celebrate! We... just sent our friend to her death!
"You guys were right on the money!", says Monobear, laughing wildly from his throne as the slot machine descends into the floor, "Astrid Hofferson is the Blackened that took the life of dear young Sandy!"
Suddenly, Monobear's red eye lights up, and he shows us his black side once more as he speaks, "I guess I should tell you that the voting for her wasn't unanimous. MerMer... you should be more careful! If the voting wasn't so one sided, you could have killed everyone because of your wrong vote! Nyahaha!"
The redhead in question looks beyond herself, looking at Astrid with disbelief. The blonde in question isn't looking at us at all.
"W-why...", asks Merida in an uncharacteristic low voice, "WHY?! WHY ASTRID?! Why... did you do it?!", she yells now, the Ultimate Warrior flinching at every word as if she were hit. "I... I trusted you! I believed in you!", continues Merida, her tears finally starting to flow. "So... Why..?"
Astrid grimaces, but to my surprise, she actually looks at Merida. And she... starts to speak.
"I did it... because I was afraid."
"...When I heard Snotlout said that he was willing to sacrifice Hiccup, I truly got scared. I know its silly for a warrior like me, the Ultimate Warrior at that, to get scared by this... But I really was afraid to lose any of you, any of my friends."
Astrid suddenly pauses, and her dull eyes start to shine with a fierce determination.
"So that's why... I decided that I had to nip the problem at the bud, so to speak."
As she said that, I could see Snotlout looking heartbroken, finally believing my claims.
"But..." continued Astrid, and as she continued her confession, her eyes turned dull again, "Everything went wrong. I prepared beforehand and got the spear from the supermarket and then I sent the message to Snotlout to lure him to the Meeting Spot. And then I waited at the crime scene, hidden in a bush with Gugnir in hand. It was supposed to be a simple kill. No one had to know, but me. Only I had to bear the burden..."
"However... I hesitated. I thought I was ready to take someone's life to protect my friends, but even though I saw Snotlout there, waiting for me to show up... I couldn't do it. I panicked when I saw him starting to leave, and I threw Gugnir at him, but I was too late. He didn't even notice my attack; he had left. I left my hiding spot to retrieve the spear, and then I saw an ElectroID on the floor as I made my way there."
"And then... he appeared."
I gripped the edge of my booth. I didn't like where this was heading.
"I panicked. Sandy had arrived and he had seen me throw the spear, I thought. He had seen Snotlout leave, surely... it's what I thought... he would connect the dots quite easily. I started to freak out."
"I had done the act before I knew what happened. In a blur, I crossed the distance between and I... I did it. I moved almost robot-like, on pure instinct. He... didn't even fight back." And as she said that, I could see the regret etched on her face.
"I... panicked even more once I realized what I had done. This... wasn't supposed to happen. I had done something that I deeply regretted. And just like a little kid that made a mess, I tried to hide it."
"So that is why you did all of the tricks and crime scene manipulation?", asks Peter with his eyes closed, analyzing everything Astrid is saying. Her answer is a simple nod.
"But I... never intended for you guys to die. Believe me...", says Astrid, almost pleading, "if I had known the full extent... the full rules of the Class Trip of Mutual Killing... I wouldn't have done any of this! I did all of this... to protect you!" And as she says this, she looks at me specifically.
I have to look away. This... is too much! This... is incredibly unfair! Why?! Why did this have to happen...? This is too cruel!
"Puhuhuhu... but, is that really the truth?", interrupts Monobear, looking incredibly smug.
Jack, who was listening to Astrid's confession with a clenched jaw, looks at the Headmaster with a glare. "What the hell do you want now?"
"I'm just saying...", says Monobear with a malicious grin, "Hoffy needs to stop the selfless act! Because I know! I do, yes! I know Hoffy was tempted by my offer!"
...What?
"Time for a tiny history lesson!", begins Monobear with a mocking, all-knowing-like voice, "Did you know Hoffy is the sole heir of the warrior Hofferson tribe? She's also the only daughter of the chief! So naturally, she's fated to become the leader! And it's a very important position!"
"But, oh no! Hoffy's father suddenly gets sick! His condition gets worse and worse with every passing day, and yes... things aren't looking good for Hoffy! But then! Guess what? Hoffy gets an invitation from Hope's Peak Academy! Gasp!" says the Headmaster, greatly exaggerating his actions for theatrical effect.
"Despite her protests, Hoffy's father is no fool. He knows that if Hoffy goes to Hope's Peak Academy, she'll become not only a great chief, she'll bring great glory to the tribe! So he tells her to go, and after insisting and insisting, Hoffy finally agrees! And thus, despite her father's assurance that he will be OK, our dear Hoffy leaves for Hope's Peak Academy with worry in her heart! A worry that only grew as she became a participant in the Camp Trip of Mutual Killing! Puhuhuhu!"
"And I mean... how couldn't she?", he says, his snickering as he spoke growing louder and louder. "Especially when she learned that she had in fact had gone to Hope's Peak for more than a few days! Indeed, it had been more than a few years since she had left the tribe and she didn't have any idea of what became of her father... or rather... she couldn't remember at all! Nyahahaha!"
"N-no...", and for the first time in all my time with her, I saw Astrid's face fill slowly with fear, "Y-you're... wrong! That's not why I did... t-that wasn't..."
"Oh please!" Interrupted Monobear, his eye glinting brightly with delight as he torments the blonde, "You keep saying 'I did it for my friends!' but your self-grandiose façade won't fool me! No one that claims to be selfless... could have done that to her friends! Strangling and wounding someone like that... are the actions of someone who's willing to do anything... to fulfill their selfish wishes."
I want to shut up the bear. I want to defend Astrid's actions. I want to say he's wrong.
But I... I too have started to doubt her. And that... makes me sick.
No one rises to her defense. Not even Snotlout. Not even Merida.
And Astrid looks all alone. Miserable. And full of despair.
"But enough about the history lesson!", says Monobear, dropping the theatrics, "It's time to fulfill my OTHER teacher duties! That's right! It's Punishment Time!"
Punishment... Execution... Death.
I look at Astrid, but to my surprise, she doesn't look afraid. Not anymore. It was as if Monobear's decree had given her a sense of resolve.
"W-wait... wait, you useless doll..!", its Merida who looks scared instead.
"I won't wait! I've been looking forward to this and I won't let you guys ruin my fun!", says Monobear, looking gleeful.
"No... please! Stop!", begs the redhead, but Monobear continues unabated.
"Now then, I prepared a very special Punishment for Astrid Hofferson, the Ultimate Warrior who lost her composure as soon as she lost control of the situation!"
"I'm beggin' ya! Don't!", Merida's pleas rise in desperation, but Monobear is only fueled more by her screams.
"Let's give it everything we got! Iiiiiit's Punishment Tiiiime!" says the Headmaster with a high, excitement-filled voice.
"Everyone...", says Astrid, her calm demeanor at odds with the situation, "I won't ask you to forgive me." Jack scoffs as she says that, "But please... at least promise me this... don't repeat the mistakes I did... don't allow Mutual Killing to happen ever again..."
And with those last words, and with Merida's pleas unheard, Monobear summons a weird device with a screen and a big red button on top of it, and as the machine rises in front of him, he brings out a tiny hammer and brings it down on the red button, pressing it. The screen on the device comes alive and the following is displayed on the screen.
GAME OVER
ASTRID HOFFERSON HAS BEEN FOUND GUILTY. STARTING PUNISHMENT.
A cheesy, pixelated animation of Monobear dragging Astrid away is shown as well. But that... doesn't begin to describe what really is happening.
Suddenly, the ceiling of the courtroom opens, and from the gaping darkness descends a metallic claw and with a swift movement, the contraption grabs Astrid by the waist and drags her away roughly. Away from us.
Punishment: Astrid's Hofferson A-Maze-ing Escape!
An empty arena can be seen. Astrid finds herself right in the middle of it, her stance tense. She looks around for anything, anybody, but the arena is empty. Suddenly, from the audience's seat, Monobear appears, grinning widely with a button on his hand. He slowly lifts his paw before suddenly slamming the button and after doing that, from the ground of the arena around Astrid, wooden walls start rising noisily, forming a maze around the blonde who looks scared.
With another press of the button, Monobear opens a door at the far end of the arena, and from it... comes out something I recognize too well.
Blue scales, a pair of powerful legs armed with sharp talons, a pair of wings and a bird like stance. A Deathly Nadder comes out of the door, and with a roar it storms towards the maze... towards Astrid's position.
The blonde reacts as soon as she hears the roar, and she sprints, trying to find an exit out of the maze. However, the dragon is fast. Way too fast. It gains on her and even though Astrid is fast on her feet, she gets a burn from the Nadder's fire blast. Still, she manages to lose the dragon after a quick turn, and after wandering about for a few seconds, she finds it.
The exit.
However, as she makes a run for it, the exit suddenly disappears. A wall shifts, closing it.
Monobear's ugly laugh can be heard from the audience's seat, his paw on the button.
Astrid doesn't have a second to rest, though. The Nadder finds her again, and she has to run for it again.
After more evasive maneuvers and more wounds from the beast, she finds the exit again. And like before, with a press of a button, Monobear moves the exit away from her.
The process repeats itself again and again, the Headmaster never allowing the Ultimate Warrior to get close to the exit.
And then, by mere chance, Astrid ends running past the exit after the sixth change. She realizes this and tries to return to it. But Monobear doesn't let her. With another button press, a wall rises in front of Astrid, who falls to her knees, exhausted and hurt.
More walls start to rise around her, trapping her in a small room.
Only a few moments later, the Nadder reaches Astrid, and with a swift jump, it climbs the walls that surround her. The dragon looks down at her for only a second before jumping into Astrid's prison, its roars barely silencing the screams of pain as the Nadder does short work of the blonde.
All of this... all of this... is shown to us from a screen that appeared in the courtoom as soon as Astrid was dragged away.
There are no words... for how sick and horrified I feel. Those screams... that scene... will always haunt me. How Monobear toyed mercilessly with her... dashing her hopes of escape at every turn. How terrified and beaten she looked... how broken...
I can't even bring myself to care about the fact that Monobear used a dragon on her punishment. I can't even dwell on the fact that he knows about our village's secret.
I feel... numb and empty.
"Extreeeeeme! That sure got my blood pumping!", says Monobear as he reappears in the courtroom, looking beyond himself with happiness. "Man, that felt good! But you know what's better than that! You! You guys look absolutely miserable and so full of despair...! I'm so... excited!"
Sobs and grim faces abound in the room. Everyone... is grieving and terrified... Even Jack... who was angry at Astrid for killing our friend... is obviously bothered by this, his face green and his eyes moist.
"Maaan! I can't wait for the next one!", says the Headmaster with a cheerful tone.
"How? How can you do this to us?!", ask North, angry. And yet, his eyes are red from the tears.
"Why... why are you making us do this?", ask Anna, her sobs barely disguised.
"Huh? I'm not making you guys do anything.", says Monobear with a confused tone, his head tilted to the side, "It's you bastards' fault. You can't let go of the outside world... that's why this happened, y'know? If you don't want this to ever happen again, then forget your ties with the outside and stay here forever! If you can! Ahahahaha!"
"Stop... please, just stop... I don't want to fucking do this anymore...", cries Snotlout, not bothering to hide his tears.
"I won't stop.", says Monobear with a serious tone, his back towards us, "Not until I prove my point to everyone. Not until I prove that Hope is infinitely inferior to Despair. And if I have to make you all despair to death... then so be it! Nyahahaha! That's my only goal here!"
He's... beyond comprehension. He's an absolute madman. A madman who relishes on this, on our suffering. And we're his prisoners.
"Now then! This Class Trial is over! You're dismissed! Let's meet again here someday! Puhuhuhu!", and with that, the Headmaster disappeared, the doors to the elevator opening once more.
The elevator ride back home was heavy with sadness. No one... spoke. No one said a word. The only noises heard were those of the one's still coming to terms with the death of two of our friends. Merida ran away from us as soon as the elevator's doors opened.
Everyone left without saying a word.
Toothless and I made our way to the Rec Area. As I walked towards my cottage, I chanced a glance at Sandy's cottage. The muddy footprints that had alerted us to the crime were gone. As if nothing had happened.
He's gone. Astrid is gone. And they won't come back. Never again will I... hang out with them, laugh with them...
Something inside of me broke. The reality of the situation finally catching up with me. Toothless instantly curled around me as soon as the first sob broke out. I hugged him tightly, thankful for the comfort as the tears continued to spill, my heart, my very being, hurt by the loss.
Toothless suddenly shifting made me look up. My bud looked at something and with a soft grunt, he lifted up the wing with which he was covering me.
Jack was standing there. And... he looked as bad as I thought I looked.
He approached me tentatively and curled up next to me and Toothless. It didn't take long for the whitette to cry. He was hurting, too. He too, had lost a close friend. And I understood.
I didn't object when he, in the middle of our crying, suddenly hugged me. Because he needed it. And I needed it too. It's silly... but holding my friend like this... I almost feel like I won't lose him. That he will be OK.
So we remain like this, for who knows how long, crying our pain away under a comforting dragon before returning to our cottages, not wanting to break the Headmaster's rules. Because... we've had enough loss for a while.
And losing someone like him... is something that would definitely kill me.
[null] POV
Monitors flash brightly here and there with images of the Camp site, thanks to the cameras scattered around, capturing whatever events that happen in the place. Save for the lights of the monitors that line up all the walls, the room is dark.
But Monobear doesn't mind. His red eye is equipped with a high-performance lens and thus the darkness doesn't bother him. Hell, he doesn't even have to worry about deteriorating eyesight, because he's a robot!
But then again, Monobear doesn't worry about much. Not even about the other person that is currently with him in this room. Because he's in control of everything in this camp, even of this person.
"So? What do you have for me?", the bear asks the person in front of him. "Is the despair setting in? Well?"
The person nods. The bear hoots with delight.
"Excellent! Everything is according to plan! In fact, it's going better than ever! I love it when my plans work better than I had expected! It's like getting a Christmas present from moi!"
The person is confused. What does he mean, he wonders.
"I'm talking about Sandy biting the dust! I mean, I had planned for YOU to off him but that stupid girl got him first without having to force you to act! Man, talk about a satisfying conclusion!"
Oh? Why is he so happy about Sandy dying? Or rather... why did he want to force the person in front of him to kill Sandy? The person is now curious on top of being confused.
"Hahah! As if I would reveal THAT to you! I mean, I know we're kinda working together, but I don't trust you! That's what you usually do with traitors, after all!"
Oh. That is a shame, thinks the person in front of Monobear.
"Now, leave! I have no use for you right now, but that's OK... continue observing until I come up for a nice scheme for you, my little traitor!"
Monobear looks at a specific monitor: The one that is recording the Meeting Spot, now clean of corpses and any hints of murder ever happening.
The mysterious machine in the Meeting Spot is ticking the time away. It is now past midnight. A new day has begun... a new day for a new despair-inducing plan.
Yes... everything was going according to Monobear's plan.
DAYS LEFT: 24 DAYS
STUDENTS STILL ALIVE: 14
Chapter 1 - A Youthful Summer of Despair - END
So... that's the first arc done! How did you like it? Writing a compelling mystery is hard and I do hope to improve as I keep writing this story, but what do you guys think? Please sound away your opinions with a nice, shiny review... s'il vous plaît!
Thanks for all the support, previous reviews, and favorites and follows! You guys make this BEARable, haha! See ya later!